Customer Service Still Reigns

I stopped into Office Depot this afternoon with two odd requests. My hope was that a specialty store like OD could be my one stop for the two items - I was mistaken.

Not only was the place nearly empty, but the smiles were missing as well.

I had to search for an associate to help me, and the one I found was barely competent for the job.

Upon leaving this associate I proceeded to walk the store and never received a greeting from any of the other half dozen people working there.

Juxtapose that experience with the one next door at Best Buy.

An employee from another department saw me searching around for my items, and walked away from his area to ask me if he could help.

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When I worked at Lowe’s, they taught us to be knowledgeable enough in every area of the store to help the average customer. If we were not, we found someone in that department that could help. The customer was the focus.

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It is no surprise that a company like OD is having to merge and cut their workforce to survive in their industry. The customer experience is severely lacking.

You walk into a place like BB, and it feels like electronics Christmas. Flashing lights and flashing smiles as the customer is king.

I write this rather long customer store review with this point. There is no substitute for human connection and service.

Our ability to serve people, and meet their needs will always garner a loyal following for us. That may be a social following on a blog, or it could be a customer base that appreciates how we treat them.

The money may motivate us, but when we see a soul in need and not a dollar solely for our needs, magic happens.

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